The University of Nebraska Board of Regents last week approved an affiliation agreement between Children’s Hospital and the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine to help elevate Omaha’s world-class status in the area of child health care.
Gary A. Perkins, president and CEO at Children’s Hospital, and John Gollan, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the UNMC College of Medicine, said the institutional affiliation agreement brings together the pediatric expertise of UNMC and Children’s for the health of heartland children.
In addition to providing quality, cost effective health care for children, the affiliation will enrich academic experiences for pediatric residents, medical students and other health professionals, and greatly advance clinical and basic science research opportunities for the prevention and treatment of childhood conditions and diseases. With the affiliation agreement, Children’s Hospital and UNMC will jointly align resources to enrich education, research and clinical care opportunities.
“There is a tremendously exciting synergy that is possible by taking full advantage of the expertise both institutions bring to this relationship,” Perkins said. “This is an unprecedented opportunity to transform pediatric health care, education and research in the region.”
Children’s hospitals and academic medical centers across the country have successfully integrated to provide comprehensive pediatric clinical care, education and research, Dr. Gollan said. “This critical step will place us among an elite group of national children’s hospitals in the country, such as Boston Children’s Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital,” he said.
The affiliation will provide new and exciting opportunities to conduct cutting-edge research into childhood disorders ensuring that children and the families of this state and region will have access to the latest, most advanced care right here in Nebraska.
In addition, the affiliation strengthens the ability to educate medical students and residents, who will be the next generation of physician leaders in pediatric medicine. Health professions students will receive the highest level of training at a facility dedicated solely to the delivery of health care services to children.
“This affiliation infuses research and teaching into the delivery of patient care. As a pediatrician, it’s a dream come true. This is great news for the children of Nebraska and beyond,” said UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D.
“The affiliation will enable the institutions to recruit the nation’s highest caliber pediatric specialists and scientists whose desire is to provide patient care in a children’s hospital setting while also being a catalyst for improving children’s health through teaching and research.” Dr. Gollan said.
With the affiliation agreement, the UNMC Department of Pediatrics will be based primarily at Children’s Hospital. Certain specialty pediatric services already located at The Nebraska Medical Center will remain there, for example neonatal intensive care and solid organ and bone marrow transplantation.
The affiliation builds on what has been a long-standing relationship between Children’s and UNMC that began in 1948. Dr. C.W.M. Poynter, then dean of UNMC, along with Omaha World-Herald publisher Henry Doorly founded the original Children’s Memorial Hospital.
The affiliation agreement, which was approved previously by the Children’s Hospital board of directors, will include development of a pediatrics practice plan integrating specialists from both institutions, and the creation of a fund to support the joint goals of UNMC and Children’s Hospital.
About University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC)
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources is now exceeds $80 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes more than 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.
About Children’s Hospital
Children’s Hospital is the only full-service pediatric hospital in Nebraska and serves children in a five-state region. Children’s is the primary inpatient teaching site for the joint Creighton University/University of Nebraska pediatric residency program. Children’s also serves as the pediatric training site for the family practice residency programs at the University of Nebraska and Creighton University, as well as for many of the region’s nursing and health profession schools. For more information, go to www.chsomaha.org.